In short:
- Hiring formalities apply whatever the type and length of the contract.
- The DPAE is sent before hiring, at the earliest within the 8 preceding days.
- The employee receives essential information within 7 calendar days, then further information within 1 month.
- Failing to file a DPAE carries a penalty of 1,305 euros per employee, according to the official guide checked on 1 June 2026.
Hiring formalities: the steps in order
The hiring formalities for a private-sector employee follow a precise sequence, set out by Entreprendre.Service-Public.
| Step | Content |
|---|---|
| Job posting | Written in French, dated, with no discriminatory criterion. Posting through France Travail is optional |
| Nationality | Checking a foreign employee’s work authorisation |
| DPAE | Pre-hiring declaration (déclaration préalable à l’embauche), before the employee starts |
| Employee information | Essential information within 7 calendar days, further information within 1 month |
| Staff register | Entry in the single staff register, from the first employee |
| Supplementary pension | Registration with a supplementary pension institution, notably Agirc-Arrco |
| Occupational health | Information and prevention visit or medical fitness examination |
Drafting rules are detailed in the article on job posting rules.
Informing the employee
Within 7 calendar days
The employer provides the main information: identity of the parties, duties, pay, working time. The trial period of a permanent contract must also be provided for in the contract.
Within 1 month
The employer adds information on training rights, paid leave, the procedure for ending the contract and the applicable collective agreements.
Penalties
- No DPAE: penalty of 1,305 euros per employee concerned.
- Intentional omission: undeclared work, punishable by 3 years’ imprisonment and a 45,000 euro fine for an individual.
- No medical visit: a 1,500 euro fine, raised to 3,750 euros with 4 months’ imprisonment for a repeat offence.
These amounts are those shown on the official guide on the date of consultation.
From hiring to integration
- Gather the necessary documents once the candidate is selected, in line with the rules on the information an employer can ask a job candidate.
- Send the DPAE before the first day.
- Provide the information documents on time.
- Schedule the information and prevention visit.
A typical hiring timeline
| When | What the employer does |
|---|---|
| Within the 8 preceding days | Sending the DPAE, at the latest before the employee starts or the trial period begins |
| On the first day | Entry in the single staff register, mandatory from the first employee or from the arrival of an intern |
| Within 7 calendar days | Providing the essential information about the employment relationship |
| Within the month | Providing the further information |
How to send the DPAE
The procedure varies depending on whether the employee comes under the general scheme or the agricultural scheme. Employers who occasionally employ entertainment workers declare them through the one-stop shop for occasional entertainment (Guso).
The declaration includes in particular the company name, or the employer’s name, the address of the establishment and its APE code.
Frequently asked questions
What are the mandatory hiring formalities for an employee in France?
The employer must check a foreign employee’s work authorisation, file the pre-hiring declaration (DPAE), give the employee the essential information about the employment relationship, enter the employee in the single staff register, register the employee with a supplementary pension scheme and organise the information and prevention visit or the medical fitness examination.
When must the DPAE be filed?
The pre-hiring declaration must be sent before hiring, at the earliest within the 8 days preceding the planned date.
What does an employer risk without a DPAE?
According to the Entreprendre.Service-Public guide checked on 1 June 2026, failing to file a DPAE is punishable by a penalty of 1,305 euros per employee. An intentional omission constitutes undeclared work, punishable by 3 years’ imprisonment and a 45,000 euro fine for an individual.
Sources
- Entreprendre.Service-Public, Procédure et formalités d’embauche d’un salarié du secteur privé, guide checked on 1 June 2026, consulted on 4 October 2026.